Problem: Uneven Development

[MilitantWorker]

There is a phrase that my comrades and I use in our circles. That phrase is "uneven development."

We use this phrase to describe situations where consciously-advanced sections of the working class act in a unified way against capital, although isolated from other sections of the international working class. Classic examples: Paris Commune, Hungary '56, Poland in the early 80's, and more recently the uprising in Oaxaca (sorta).

I wanted to start a thread about this topic, because I feel it is an important question to tackle, especially concerning the theory of left communists, as well as the theory of the "national liberation" types.

What should we as revolutionaries do when faced with the problem of uneven development? Are there tactical, programmatic, or logistical steps that can be taken, maybe to "spread the struggle?" Would that, theoretically, be the correct thing to do? Is focusing organizational effort on a regional section of the proletariat beneficial to the communist struggle in general? How does individuals/organizations conceptions of the vanguard play into this?

If communists are not separate from the class, what is the role of the communist revolutionary who lives in the region of rebellion? National and regional borders are lines drawn by the bourgeoisie, no? So if workers in Los Angeles, or Paris rise up against capital, what do the rest of us do?

[Vincent P.]

Although that may sounds a bit anti-revisionist, though it ain't at its core, I am for taking a regional approach, where full socialism has been reached, and from there we do what we can to have better standards of living and thus create some jealousy which would lead to revolution elsewhere.

Western Civilisation managed to impose its culture and values to poor people (kids in Africa fighting to reach the American Dream... without realizing that it exist in the first place because they are poor). We just have to do better. Give some sucessful communist/anarchist experience, and spead the good new.

Anyhow it's always better than the global approach: have you ever tried to break an intact egg by squeezing it with your bare hands?

[revolution inaction]

Anyhow it's always better than the global approach: have you ever tried to break an intact egg by squeezing it with your bare hands?

yes its really easy to do, what has it to do with revolution though?

[MarxSchmarx]

There is a phrase that my comrades and I use in our circles. That phrase is "uneven development."

We use this phrase to describe situations where consciously-advanced sections of the working class act in a unified way against capital, although isolated from other sections of the international working class

...

Are there tactical, programmatic, or logistical steps that can be taken, maybe to "spread the struggle?" Would that, theoretically, be the correct thing to do? Is focusing organizational effort on a regional section of the proletariat beneficial to the communist struggle in general? How does individuals/organizations conceptions of the vanguard play into this?

There is no question that "spreading the struggle" is the correct thing to do. The only question is how best that is done, given the different circumstances between places. The basic demands of our movement, at least in developed countries, are not controversial or all that specific to particular regions or economic sectors. The problem is in the implementation and developing enough of a common ground.

The most obvious way to spread the struggle is to encourage working people to unite under broad principles and increase ties of solidarity between groups - for example between industries and across nations.

The problem is that today, with powerful centralized nation states and corporations, the need for the struggle itself to be globalized and nimble. Of course it is important to be decentralized and organic to some extent, but that should not mean isolation and re-inventing the wheel. Sectarianism can take on many guises, and anything that goes against that grain is an important step in the right direction.